Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Wattala and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $534 per month in Wattala vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $873 per month in Wattala vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,213 per month in Wattala vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wattala is about 37% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Wattala and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Wattala 60% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 LKR 1,269

$1.96 ฿63.6

103.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.17 LKR 8,020

$18.81 ฿611

33.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 LKR 2,696

$7.92 ฿258

6.82%

Cappuccino

$2.73 LKR 869

$1.91 ฿62.2

42.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 LKR 230

$0.84 ฿27.25

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LKR 129

$0.35 ฿11.44

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 LKR 734

$2.21 ฿71.7

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 LKR 1,075

$3.80 ฿124

-11.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 LKR 539

$1.64 ฿53.2

3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 168

$1.62 ฿52.8

-67.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 271

$1.18 ฿38.40

-27.97%

Eggs

$2.20 LKR 701

$2.01 ฿65.4

9.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.02 LKR 4,465

$15.89 ฿517

-11.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 LKR 1,508

$3.01 ฿98.0

57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.83 LKR 2,496

$10.77 ฿350

-27.30%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,367

$2.61 ฿85.0

184.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 344

$1.22 ฿39.65

-11.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 LKR 1,820

$1.70 ฿55.4

235.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 LKR 388

$1.58 ฿51.2

-22.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 353

$1.32 ฿42.89

-15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 LKR 450

$1.17 ฿38.01

20.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 382

$0.67 ฿21.85

79.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 LKR 192

$0.56 ฿18.21

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 LKR 3,157

$4.53 ฿147

118.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 LKR 4,036

$18.20 ฿592

-30.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 639

$1.83 ฿59.6

9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LKR 944

$3.23 ฿105

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿28.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 123

$1.35 ฿43.95

-71.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 112

$1.35 ฿43.79

-74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 LKR 195

$8.25 ฿268

-92.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 LKR 383

$1.27 ฿41.40

-5.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K LKR 8.7M

$21.2K ฿687.8K

28.96%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K LKR 11.0M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

53.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$60.9 LKR 19.4K

$70.2 ฿2,281

-13.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.20 LKR 1,340

$13.77 ฿448

-69.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.44 LKR 4,920

$17.60 ฿572

-12.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.20 LKR 4,206

$41.57 ฿1,352

-68.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 LKR 1,091

$5.78 ฿188

-40.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$36.78 LKR 11.7K

$306 ฿9,953

-87.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$441 LKR 140.6K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-97.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.37 LKR 8,720

$54.4 ฿1,768

-49.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.36 LKR 6,169

$26.14 ฿850

-25.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 LKR 21.8K

$84.5 ฿2,748

-19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.12 LKR 12.5K

$69.4 ฿2,257

-43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,743

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿26.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿66.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

229.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wattala: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Wattala versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wattala vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 60% more than Wattala, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $801 per month in Wattala and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Wattala and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $534 in Wattala and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wattala costs $534 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wattala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.